


Through Time and Space: Season 1

by goingtothetardis



Series: Through Time and Space [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action, Angst, Deleted Scenes, Episode: s01e01 Rose, Episode: s01e02 The End of the World, Episode: s01e03 The Unquiet Dead, Episode: s01e04 Aliens of London, Episode: s01e05 World War Three, Episode: s01e06 Dalek, Episode: s01e07 The Long Game, Episode: s01e08 Father's Day, Episode: s01e09 The Empty Child, Episode: s01e10 The Doctor Dances, Episode: s01e11 Boom Town, Episode: s01e12 Bad Wolf, Episode: s01e13 The Parting of the Ways, F/M, Five Stages of Grief, Fluff, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Internal Monologue, Introspection, Joyful, Kitchen Scene, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-15
Updated: 2016-05-31
Packaged: 2018-05-26 22:49:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 7,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6258865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goingtothetardis/pseuds/goingtothetardis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of drabbles and ficlets through all of Season 1 of Doctor Who/RTD-era Who.</p><p>Not a season rewrite.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during "Rose."
> 
> Rose talks Mickey into driving her to Clive's place.

Rose sent a reply to Clive’s e-mail, agreeing to meet him in an hour, and leaned back in the chair. 

“What you doing, then?” Mickey asked curiously.

“Mickey, there’s this man who, well, he saved me from the explosion at Henricks, yeah? He calls himself the Doctor.” Rose intentionally left out the fact that the Doctor was the one who also blew up her job. “And there were these shop window dummies that came to life. He knows about them.”

“Are you having me on, Rose? Dummies coming to life?”

Rose knew it was pointless to try to explain things to Mickey. “Never mind about that, I found this man on the internet who says he knows about the Doctor. His name’s Clive, and I’ve agreed to meet with him in an hour’s time. We exchanged e-mails.”

Mickey looked sternly at Rose. “Whaddya mean you’re meeting with Clive? Why do you need to know about the Doctor?”

“I don’t know, Mickey. He just said some things, some crazy and...and unbelievable things. Told me to forget him, but I can’t. And I feel like, well, I just need to know who he is. Does it matter?”

“Yeah, Rose, it does, when you want to go off meeting some random bloke you met on the internet to get information about this man, this Doctor, just because your job blows up? And you still didn’t explain these shop window dummies.”

Rose huffed, ignoring his request for more information. “Micks, please. Just take me there? You can come in with me, make sure I’m safe. He sounded nice over the phone. I heard kids in the background.”

Mickey stared at Rose and shook his head in disbelief. 

“Mickey.” Rose gave him a look, that one look he could never refuse, and he sighed. 

“Fine, but you owe me, Rose. Night at the pub, you and me, babe. And he’d better not be some psycho internet killer.”

Rose jumped up and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks, Mick.” She jumped up from the chair and headed for the door, Mickey close behind.


	2. The End of the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during "The End of the World”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to lunaseemoony for the quick read through!!

He looks back at Jabe one last time, gratefully eyeing the woman risking life and limb for everyone on the space station. 

Another life in danger, because of someone’s stupidity. 

_Heat levels, critical. Heat levels, critical._

He runs through the next series of fan blades and turns when he hears Jabe’s cries over the system voice. 

His thoughts are bitter and frantic. _Angry._ Jabe is burning, and if he doesn’t continue, all will be lost.

Standing before the last blade, the system voice begin the final countdown, and his eyes close. Focusing his mind and expanding his Time Lord senses, he feels the turn of the blade, the rush of wind as it passes in front of him, and calculates the moment he can move forward. 

He steps. 

And opens his eyes. 

Without time for a sigh of relief, he dashes forward and yanks the lever down, just as the system voice reaches the end. 

Turning around, he swallows heavily when he sees the smouldering remains of Jabe in the distance. 

Crossing the bridge, he thinks of Rose. Her first trip has been a disaster. Lives lost and hers endangered. His arrogance distracted and pulled his attention elsewhere. 

Never again.


	3. The Unquiet Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in "The Unquiet Dead"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was faced with the challenge of rewatching this particular moment over and over again to capture the moment. These idiots, I swear, I love them so much.
> 
> It should be obvious but in case it's not, the first section is Rose's POV, and the second section is the Doctor's.

_“I’m so glad I met you.”_

Steel blue eyes bored into hers, and the utter sincerity of his words made her breath hitch.

The moment was terrifying, adrenaline running through her veins like never before, but her hand was in his, and somehow, _somehow_ , in a way that defied all reason, it felt right. 

“Me too.”

Then she smiled, despite her fear, a smile only for him, and his answering one sent an unexpected tingle of heat down low. 

Her eyes flicked to his lips, briefly. (Later, in her room, she wondered about that.)

The hand in hers gripped tighter.

+~+~+

_“Together?”_

Despite the uncertainty of the moment, the certainty of her words made his head spin. This girl, this brilliant girl, who’d already clawed her way through his guarded walls, had made the first promise of together, him and her. 

Her hand found his, and their fingers wound together, instinctive and natural. Words tumbled from his mouth before he could stop them, and adrenaline was to blame for the way his hearts beat wildly in his chest at her reply. _Right?_

Her smile, brighter than the sun, drew him to her, the darkness to the light. 

Together in this fight.


	4. Aliens of London

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in "Aliens of London"
> 
> Jackie reflects on the year without her daughter, thinking Rose was gone, lost, or worse. 
> 
> Warning: If you've lost a child or have a sensitivity to grief and loss, this may be a chapter to skip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, this one is pretty rough. But the idea hit me while chatting with Julibellule this morning, and it would NOT let me go. I really love Jackie Tyler, and I never really gave much thought as to what she may have experienced in the year Rose was missing. I mean, Rose was missing. Jackie probably thought she was dead, or worse, even. And since we're with the Doctor and Rose during those episodes between, it's easier to focus on Rose coming back instead of what Jackie went through as a mother losing her child. I hope I at least fractionally did justice to what Jackie might have lived through. 
> 
> I am not a mother, so I cautiously asked a few mom friends to share what they thought their emotions might be like during this time. Caedmon and crazygirlne, thank you. I know just thinking about this is incomprehensible, and I hope I didn't cause too much upset.

Jackie sat at the kitchen table and looked at the piles of missing person fliers scattered atop it with a heavy heart. 

_One year._

It had been one year since Rose Tyler vanished without a trace. One year since Rose had called after those terrifying plastic people had come to life, just to see if she was alive, perhaps, and had then hung up on her. One year since she’d last called, so out of character in the middle of the day, to say she might be late home, insisting she was fine. 

After the plastic people, she’d been frantic with worry about Rose, but she assumed her daughter had been with Mickey or Shireen. How wrong she’d been.

Jackie shuddered as a round of long-pent up sobs escaped her, and a few tears trailed down her cheeks. She’d been to the police this morning, and outside of keeping Rose on the missing persons list, there was nothing more they could do. They’d exhausted the case, interviewing everyone Rose had known, followed any hint of a lead to her whereabouts. And beyond that, really. More than usual for a missing person from the Estate. But Jackie was nothing if not stubborn and determined when it came to her daughter. 

Mickey, countless times Mickey. That wanker Jimmy Stone, but he’d had a legitimate alibi and plenty of witnesses. Rose’s girlfriends, Shireen, Kiesha, her coworkers. Their family, even. The cousins, the aunts and uncles, Pete’s mum. And then nothing. No one had been with her, no one had seen her. Searches across the European continent had been in vain. The same in North America. She'd seemed to disappear off the face of the planet. 

Her thoughts turned to Mickey. The police had eventually given up on him, but Jackie’s instincts told her-- continued to tell her-- that he knew something. However, despite her many harsh words to him over the last year, the blame and the guilt she’d shoved on him, her heart ached for him as well. He’d been distraught at her disappearance and was deeply hurt by it as well. Deep down she knew he'd never hurt Rose, never lay a harmful finger on her. 

Jackie's own grief had progressed quite typically through the stages of grief, sometimes in order, sometimes many stages at once, and sometimes they rebounded, taking her by surprise. The Denial. _“Oh, Rose must just have left town for a while, she’s always wanted to see the world.”_ The Anger. _“How the hell could she do this? Did she leave? Is she in danger? I knew she was getting airs, but this is beyond. Why can’t she grace us with the courtesy of a call?”_ The Bargaining. _“I’ll do anything to get my daughter back. I’ll remarry so I can provide her the life she really deserves. I’ll stop nagging her about finding a job, will let her be. I’ll do anything to know she’s okay.”_ The Depression. _The fog, the drowning in despair of the loss of hope, the disconnect from everyone else, until she resurfaced enough for basic life functions, not at all okay, but found a state of being that allowed her to, somewhat robotically, allow the days to pass._

And now, while she was close to accepting Roses absence, the simple fact that there was nothing to prove Rose was gone forever kept her from letting go, kept her from finding closure The faintest tendril of hope lingered, the tempting whispers of _“what if she comes back?”_ and _“what if she's still out there?”_ giving her something to cling to. No, not quite there yet. She’s a Tyler woman, and well, they don’t get up so easily. 

Jackie sighed and lay a hand on a pile of fliers, gently running a finger over her daughter’s face. Tea. She needed a cuppa to refocus before organizing more fliers to send out. Again. And she’d do it a thousand more times as long as it got her daughter back. 

Making her way into the kitchen, Jackie turned on the kettle and put the milk and sugar on the counter. As she mindlessly prepared her tea, she heard the front door open and slam, and she walked to the entrance to the kitchen, tea in hand, to confront her intruder. 

The cup crashed to the floor.


	5. World War Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during ‘World War Three’ in the moments before and during the bomb strike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always adore this moment. I think it’s kind of a shocking moment for both of them, and while rewatching this scene a few times, I love how Rose’s mouth starts to curl up in a tiny smile at the end. Has anyone ever stood up for her in this way before? Valued her life in such a way? And I think this moment has to be empowering for her. She tells him to do it. She asks what he’s waiting for. And then that look between them...it speaks louder than words. 
> 
> Thanks to caedmon and Jeeno2 for the quick read through. <3

_“I could save the world but lose you.”_

+++

He’d tried not to let his astonishment show as Rose Tyler surprised him once again, telling him to do whatever necessary to save the world. And he’d seen the hint of a smile on her face when he’d momentarily let his guard down, displaying an indefinable expression filled with surprised intensity and uncharacteristic uncertainty as he admitted this plan of his put her life at stake. 

A ghost of a thought crossed his mind several minutes later as he tightly gripped Rose and Harriet’s hands in the tiny closet. _How many others had ever put Rose Tyler’s life before the world’s? Before their own?_

In the moments before the bomb struck 10 Downing Street, the Doctor was certain of one fact. He’d always put Rose Tyler’s life before his own. Granted, that was generally the goal in all his interactions across the universe, but Rose Tyler evoked a protective instinct unlike anything he’d experienced before. If she let him, that is. If there was one thing Rose could do well, it was take care of herself. 

The bomb exploded around them, disrupting his thoughts, and the Doctor grunted in shock as they were tossed about the closet. Rose and Harriet’s cries of fear and pain echoed in his ears. In the jostle of bodies, Harriet’s hand was pulled from his, but Rose held tight. With his rather impressive strength he managed to pull Rose close and wrapped his arms and legs around her, letting his body bounce about the room instead of hers. With a final crash, the Doctor twisted his body around so he lay under Rose as the room settled. 

“Doctor?” Rose asked breathlessly.

“Hmmm?” 

“Doctor, you’re squeezing me. I think you can let go now.”

“Oh. Right.” His arms tightened infinitesimally before releasing her and rolling to his hands and knees. 

He heard Rose calling out for Harriet in the dark, and he breathed a sigh of relief when the other woman answered. He groped for the door and reached for the handle, but before he could open it, Rose grabbed his hand and pulled him down, feeling blindly for his head. 

She whispered in his ear. “Thank you, Doctor,” and placed a soft kiss on his cheek before releasing him and pushing the door open, ready to face the new world outside.


	6. Dalek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set after 'Dalek' and during/after the [deleted scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDARFSPYOhY).
> 
> Rose and the Doctor have a moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, it's the deleted scene bit that's been written time and time again. But whatever. I hope you enjoy my take on it. It's always such a beautiful hug and the end of an emotionally heavy episode. 
> 
> Thanks to Banana_daiquiri for the quick read through.

Rose looked at the Doctor beside her, biting her lower lip in apprehension, waiting. He stared blankly at the empty space in the bunker where the Dalek had been moments ago, before exploding within its self-destruct sequence. The oversized gun dangled from the tips of his fingers, and an overwhelming silence rang in her ears. 

Quicker than the blink of an eye, the gun clattered to the ground, and Rose was enveloped in the Doctor’s arms, his nose buried in the crook of her neck. Her arms wrapped automatically around him, and she held him close. 

“I thought I’d lost you,” the Doctor whispered, so quietly it was as if he didn’t want her to hear. Perhaps he didn’t. 

“I’m right here, Doctor. I’m- ” She paused momentarily, before taking a deep breath and continuing, the truth of her words surprising her. “I’m never gonna leave you.”

At her words, a shudder ran through him, and his grip around her tightened before he released her and stepped back, running his hands down her arms until he held both her hands in his. His steel blue eyes blazed into hers with unrestrained vulnerability, and what she saw there took her breath away. Disbelief. Want. Need. Something else, possibly, but she refused to believe that. It couldn’t be that. 

“Yes, you will, someday, somehow. Don't make promises you can't keep, Rose.” 

He said her name in a way no one ever had before, low and gravelly, with each sound falling from his lips with intentional precision. She swallowed and broke eye contact, the intense moment between them gone in an instant. There were some things in this new life she lived that she didn’t want to think about, liked to bury under adventures, discovery, and thrills. Her mortality was one of them. 

But right now? Right now she lived. Rose reached for the Doctor’s hand and laced their fingers together. “Doctor? Let’s go home.”


	7. The Long Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set shortly before 'The Long Game'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a fluffy little kitchen scene between the Doctor and Rose. I know that even in the episode, the Doctor continues to goad her about Adam being her boyfriend, and even after he faints (LOL), she says, "Not anymore," kind of _implying_ that he was, but I don't buy it. I'm just going to go with the assumption that Rose started playing along with the Doctor's little game, a.k.a. way to hide his jealousy.

“Oh! Hello, Rose. What are you doing here so early? I thought you’d be off with your new _boyfriend_ ,” the Doctor greeted Rose as he walked into the galley. It was early for Rose, very early, and she stood leaning against the counter with her hands wrapped tightly around a mug of steaming tea held close to her face. Her hair was in ratty disarray, and a dressing gown wrapped haphazardly around her. She looked… No, best not finish that thought. 

Rose scowled into her mug before lifting tired eyes to meet the Doctor’s. “I told you, he’s _not_ m’ boyfriend.”

“Coulda fooled me. You’re the one who invited him along, you and your pretty boys.” He knew Rose would give him hell for that comment, but he couldn’t resist. Plus, it kept him from focusing on other things, other feelings trying to make themselves known in the wake of their encounter with the Dalek.

Rose glared daggers at the Doctor, and he willed back a smirk. “Jus’ cause I invited him along, Doctor, doesn’t mean he’s my boyfriend. ‘Sides, he’s a bit of a bloody wanker. I’m done dating those.”

“Yeah, he is. Left you alone with that Dalek,” the Doctor muttered, eyes darkening in anger as he remembered the boy’s thoughtless lack of regard for Rose’s safety and concern for his own self-preservation. He crossed his arms across his chest in a huff of irritation.

“Doctor,” Rose started, placing a hand on his arm. “Just leave it. It’s done, I’m fine, and the Dalek is gone. Let’s jus’...move on, yeah?”

The Doctor gazed into her eyes and almost lost himself in the depths of emotion he found there. Forgiveness, affection, understanding, and something else he chose not to identify. He broke eye contact and moved to prepare his own cup of tea, abruptly changing the subject. “So what do you say? One trip with Mr. Adam? Then drop him off at home? No offense, Rose, but I don’t think he’s quite cut out for this life.”

Rose snorted into her mug. “Yeah, that’s fine.” 

They moved to the table and sipped their tea together in companionable silence. “Where would you like to go today, Rose?” The Doctor asked after a few minutes.

“Oh, I don’t know. Surprise me. But Doctor?”

“Hmm?” The Doctor glanced at Rose, waiting for the rest of her question.

“Can I be the tour guide this time?”


	8. Father's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set immediately before and immediately after "Father's Day"
> 
> A bit of a prelude to Rose asking the Doctor to take her to see her father. 
> 
> And then immediately after the walk back to the TARDIS at the end of the episode, the Doctor realizes he should comfort Rose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this episode is ripe for expansion with fic at any point, really. It's such a beautiful episode, and I feel like it's an important one for the Doctor and Rose. It's probably the first real conflict we see them have, and it's just filled with powerful moments that highlight how special the RTD years of DW are. I know I've read many fics that cover the events after this episode, and I hope you enjoy my interpretation of it. I like writing the Doctor's walls falling down little by little as he realizes how special Rose is to him. 
> 
> This is...not really a ficlet anymore, but oh well. :) I could have split it in two, but I liked it as is. 
> 
> Thanks to caedmon for the beta. <3

Rose wandered into the console room looking for the Doctor. She found him lying on his back with his sonic screwdriver between his teeth, working under the console. Chewing on her thumbnail and leaning against the edge of the console, she contemplated whether or not to discuss what was on her mind with the Doctor. 

Lost in her thoughts, she jumped slightly when the man in question said her name quietly from her side. 

“Doctor! You scared me,” she started before focusing on the item in his hands. “What’s that?” 

The Doctor shot Rose a confused look before quickly tossing the item, a ball covered in tiny bumps, in the air. “It’s something I thought I could use to fix the time-path detector, but I’ll have to find something else. This’d work better for a game of football.” He tossed the ball in the air once more before catching it and peering at Rose.

“Rose, is something the matter?”

Rose looked at the Doctor and motioned for him to sit down. He plopped down in the jump seat, and propped his feet up on the edge of the console. 

“I just… Well, I kind of wanted to talk about my dad. I know I never really have before, and- And I don’t think I’ve told you what happened, I mean, how he died. I jus’- just been thinking about him lately.”

“I know what happened,” the Doctor said softly, gazing at Rose unblinking, and she looked up in surprise. “I can’t help but get curious about my new companion. I looked it up. I’m sorry, Rose.”

“Yeah…” Rose trailed off, looking at the floor, uncertain of how to continue.

“But you can tell me about him, though, if you want,” the Doctor encouraged.

Rose glanced up at the Doctor, her lips quirked up in half a smile. “Yeah, I’d like that. Mum always told me stories about him on the anniversary of his death, and it just feels like that time, you know?”

She took a moment to gather her thoughts, and the Doctor sat patiently, twirling the ball between his fingers. 

“He died, 1987, the 7th of November, the day Stewart Hoskins and Sarah Clarke got married. He was hit by a car, a hit-and-run driver, and we never found out who. He was all alone, dead before the ambulance got there. Mum would- she’d sit on the bed with the photo album, and pat the space beside her until I sat next to her. Then she’d flip through the pages and tell me all about my dad, Peter Alan Tyler, the most wonderful man in the world. Least that’s what mum says.” She laughed a small laugh, lost in her memories. “Said he was always having adventures. I wish...sometimes I wish he could see me now. Finally got away from the estate, I did, an’ now I’m living in a blue box as time traveler. With an _alien_! It’s mad.” She laughed without restraint at that last thought, and the Doctor chuckled along with her. 

She started again, more confident in what she wanted to ask. “He’d love to see me now, that’s what Mum always says. So I was thinking, could we? Could we go and see my dad when he was still alive?”

“Where’s this come from all of a sudden?” 

Rose blanched mildly at the Doctor’s question, and turned to fiddle at a lever on the console. “Alright then, if we can’t, if it’s against the laws of time or something, then never mind. Just leave it.” She missed the chagrined look on the Doctor’s face. 

“No, I can do anything. I’m just more worried about you,” the Doctor continued.

“I want to see him,” Rose said simply.

“Your wish is my command. But be careful what you wish for.” The Doctor stood up with a smirk and pulled the dematerialization lever on the console. 

Rose stepped aside and looked up at the Doctor as he set the TARDIS into motion. Her heart beat quickly as she realized the Doctor actually intended to follow through with her request. She was going to see her dad. 

+++

The Doctor opened the door and held it open for Rose. They walked silently up the ramp, and the Doctor immediately moved to the console and flicked the switches necessary to take them into the vortex. Rose stood near the jumpseat, anxiously twisting her hands together before mumbling something about a shower and almost running out of the room. 

The Doctor bowed his head and sighed. He leaned heavily with both arms on the rim of the console before pushing off and pacing circles around the rotor. Rose’s innocent request had ended in a disaster, and not only had a reaper-filled paradox almost destroyed the world, but he’d also belittled and reprimanded Rose with harsh words and criticism. He’d seen the profound hurt in her eyes and the defiance shot right back at him. And taking away her TARDIS key was perhaps worse than anything he could have said. 

He thought about the smile that blossomed across her face when she saw him running back to her on the sidewalk, right before he saved her from the reaper. After all the hurtful things he’d said, she still found joy in his return. 

The Doctor shook his head in disbelief. 

And then Pete Tyler, Peter Alan Tyler, the unexpected hero. He was proud of the man for figuring out and doing what needed to be done, but it pained him that Rose lost her father once again. Unknowingly as a baby, then the first time in the street, and again, later, after Pete knew who Rose was. The Doctor shook his head. He had no doubt where Rose got her compassion, tenacity, courage, and stubbornness from. Her parents were made of sterner stuff than he’d thought. 

And now Rose was off in her room, likely struggling with the loss of her father and dealing with the repercussions of her actions. Bollocks, he’d made a mess of this, but he couldn’t let Rose think this was her fault. And maybe- Well, he supposed he could try to offer some comfort. 

He walked briskly down hall and reached Rose’s door in no time. It seemed the TARDIS agreed with his decision to talk to her. He instinctively made to open the door without knocking, as he usually did, but he pulled his hand back and knocked quietly. 

“What?” Rose’s muffled reply came from inside the room. 

“Rose, I- May I come in?” The Doctor asked politely.

Rose sighed. “Fine.”

Cautiously opening the door, the Doctor walked into Rose’s room and found her curled up under the covers, hair wet and face makeup-free but streaked with tears, a box of tissues on the bed next to her. His heart lurched when he saw her so distraught. 

Despite reminding himself of his vow to abstain from the domestics, he nevertheless found himself removing his leather jacket and kicking off his boots. He approached the edge of the bed and said, “Budge over.”

Rose looked at him, slightly startled, but scooted over to allow the Doctor room to sit down. He reclined against the headboard and opened one arm open in invitation. Rose curled up against his side, and he marveled how she fit there, just right, just like how her hand fit in his.

They sat there silently a few moments before Rose whispered, “I’m sorry, Doctor. I’m so sorry.”

The Doctor sighed and ran a few fingers through her hair. “There’s nothing to apologize for, Rose. I’m sorry. I didn’t explain the rules to you before, and I knew better than that, especially when it’s your dad. Of course you wanted to save him. Of course you did…” He trailed off and let the words linger in the air. 

“But Doctor, I almost destroyed the world. Those things, those reapers, they were attackin’ everyone, even you. You were gone, Doctor. _Gone._ You took me to meet my dad, and I mucked it up. And he’s still dead- He _killed_ himself to save us. I finally got to feel my dad’s arms around me, got to see how much he loved me, how proud he is of me, and then he died again! And it’s all my fault.”

Rose sobbed into the Doctor’s jumper, soaking the wool with her tears, and the Doctor’s arm held her tight against his side. His hearts broke for Rose, for the grief she’s experiencing for the first time and for the devastating consequences she’d had to learn about time travel. 

She cried for several more minutes until the after effects of her sobs rippled through her body. The Doctor traced soothing circular patterns on her arms, and Rose gradually quieted. Eventually she pulled herself back and reached for a wad of tissues, wiping her face and blowing her nose. She laughed a watery laugh before a few more tears leaked down her cheeks. 

The Doctor looked tenderly at Rose and allowed her a moment to calm herself. He knew all about grief and loss, and it hurt him more than he understood that Rose had to experience it. 

“Doctor,” Rose started, looking steadily at him through her red-rimmed eyes. “How do you- You said you lost your family, your whole planet, your people. How do you cope? How do you even… I lost my dad, twice today, and I can’t hold myself together.”

The Doctor thought quietly a few moments before answering, trying to figure out how to acknowledge his guilt without defining the reason for it. “Some days I don’t cope. Some days the guilt and the loss is just too much, and that’s when… That’s when I have to find a world to save. Those are the days I run.” He jumped, slightly startled, when Rose reached for his hand and entwined her fingers with his, and that gave him the courage to continue. “And you’ve helped.”

“Me?” Rose looked up from their hands laced together. “Why me? I’m just...me.”

“Ah, Rose, you’re more than ‘just you.’ When we first met, it wasn’t- ” he paused. “It wasn’t long after I lost them, my people. It wasn’t long after the war. And you’ve been by my side ever since, challenging me, fighting with me, surprising me with your compassion. You helped me remember there’s a lot to live for in this universe.” 

He looked briefly in her eyes before shifting his gaze to their linked hands. Being vulnerable like this, well, that was one win for the domestics. He was trying, and failing hard, to maintain some distance from it.

“Doctor,” Rose addressed him quietly, pulling him from his thoughts. “Thank you. Thanks for taking me to my dad, even with everything that happened. Even though he...died...I’ll never be sorry I got to meet him. No one can ever take that away from me.”

The Doctor cupped Rose’s face in his hand and leaned forward to place a soft kiss on her forehead before resting against the headboard once more. Without a word, Rose returned to her place at his side, and curled up against him. He resumed the circular strokes on her arm, and he felt her breathing gradually even out as she fell asleep. 

He should go, really, he should, but he was loathe to move Rose now that she’d finally found some peace. He allowed his eyes to close, relaxing for the moment with this precious human beside him.

Just for a little while.


	9. The Empty Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during 'The Empty Child'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it would be fun to capture the trip to Albion Hospital after Jack and Rose meet. I made triple sure Rose actually never told Jack her name when she was on his ship.
> 
> Thanks to crazygirlne for the quick read through!

Ten minutes after Jack scanned for alien tech and teleported them back to the surface, Rose was relieved to finally be back on the ground after spending a bit too much time hanging about in the air for her comfort. Jack had said there’d been a signal for alien tech in the direction of Albion Hospital, and they were currently enroute in that direction. 

“So,” Jack drawled casually. “I didn’t actually get your name.”

Rose looked over to the handsome bloke walking beside her in surprise. “Oh! Right, I guess you didn’t. I’m Rose,” she started, considering whether or not to tell him her full name. “Rose Tyler.”

“Nice to meet you, Rose. And your _companion_? What’s his name?” Jack asked.

Rose walked a few steps without answering as she contemplated Jack’s question. She had to figure out how much she could tell Jack about the situation, and her instincts suggested she shouldn’t fully trust Jack yet. “John. John Spock,” she replied casually and then remembered Jack’s comment about having something for the Time Agency. “We’re Time Agents, but as I said earlier, I really shouldn’t make decisions without John.”

Jack looked speculatively at Rose, and she raised her chin in challenge. She had to think of a quick backstory to feed Jack to satisfy him before they found the Doctor. “I’m from London, early 21st century. I met John at my work, and he recruited me as an Agent. It’s _much_ more interesting than working in a shop.” She winked at Jack. 

“So are you and him together?” Jack asked.

Rose smirked and decided to be irritatingly vague. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Well, yes, actually,” Jack intoned suggestively. “But no matter, for now. Can you tell me about John?”

“Well, he’s tall, dark, and brooding. And handsome,” she added as an afterthought. “He’s from the North and is much older than you’d think. His driving’s a bit rubbish, and he tends to get slapped by mums. Mine, in particular.” Rose laughed out loud at this last bit of information.

Jack chuckled beside her. “Sounds like just my type, then,” he said with a wink. “So, he’s met your mother? What does she think about you being a Time Agent?”

“Oh, well, at first she was really upset, but that’s mostly because the- Because John brought me back from our first trip a year late. He said it was just twelve hours, but it was actually twelve months.”

Jack laughed, “So when you say he’s a rubbish driver, he really _is_ a rubbish driver. I’m guessing your mum slapped him?”

“Yeah, but he kind of deserved it. She didn’t know what’d happened to me for a full year. Thought I was dead.” Rose grew quiet at this, and they walked quietly together a few moments longer.

Ahead of them, the dark and gloomy outline of Albion hospital appeared, and they picked up the pace until they reached the gate. Rose saw the lock hanging open and noted to herself that it did indeed look like the Doctor was at the hospital. 

“Well, shall we go find your companion, then?” Jack asked. “Any idea how to find him?”

“Oh, well, if there’s trouble here, I’m sure we’ll find him in no time,” Rose answered with a smile.


	10. The Doctor Dances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during and after 'The Doctor Dances'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been really looking forward to this episode, and of course, actually writing this was far more difficult than I thought it'd be. I couldn't decide what I wanted to focus on, so in the end, I decided to go for more of an introspective route with all three major characters in this chapter. 
> 
> And so, it will be the POV from the Doctor, Jack, and Rose, in that order. (But I hope it's obvious enough.)
> 
> A HUGE thanks to tenroseforeverandever for the beta and for somehow knowing all the areas I was not happy with.

Was he _really_ talking to Rose about this? Dating and dancing? And earlier, did she really compare him to Captain Jack? He was making an effort not to be insulted, but it was taking a bit more, well... effort than he had bargained for. More than a bit. She _had_ insinuated that Jack was more of a man than him, the idea of which, was completely ludicrous. Lord of _Time_ , him. More than impressive. 

He found himself defending the insinuations against him that he didn’t _dance_. Rose seemed especially surprised by this news, and he felt a pressing need to set her straight.

_Why, exactly?_

Shoving that question to the back of his mind, he allowed the self-assured arrogance of his personality to take over. He really shouldn’t have been surprised when Rose turned up the music and sashayed over to him with a coy smile that almost melted his insides.

_“You’ve got the moves? Show me your moves.”_

_”Rose, I’m- I’m trying to resonate concrete.”_

Smooth, Doctor. Every instinct in him told him to put his sonic away, step off the ledge, and accept her charming invitation to dance. And yet, he pushed them aside, ignored them in the name of practicality. That is, he ignored them until she kept a hand extended in invitation and assured him he would be in no danger were he to accept. 

So he did. 

**+++++**

He wasn’t dead. One second he was mere minutes away from impending doom, and seconds later he found himself inside the cavernous room of the Doctor’s ship. The Doctor and Rose had, for reasons unknown, come back for him, the con man, the man who’d tried to scam them only hours before. And yet, while he knew the Doctor still distrusted him to some extent, Rose as well, he was certain, they’d returned the favor by saving him from certain death. _Oh the things he could do with a second chance._

Jack stood off to the side and watched as the Doctor attempted to pull Rose into a dance. He smiled wryly as Rose baited the Doctor for a moment, but he wasn’t fooled. The smile that had lit up her face when the Doctor turned to her with his request told him all he ever needed to know. Rose Tyler would always choose the Doctor. 

The two mysterious travelers clearly belonged together, even if they hadn’t admitted it to each other (or themselves) yet. When he’d teleported them to his ship, he’d been surprised at how they’d been so wrapped up in each other that they hadn’t noticed they were on his ship until he’d spoken. 

As the Doctor and Rose danced, Jack walked a few steps closer to the console and took in the impressive sight before him. Now this, _this_ was a time ship. He had so many questions, but for now he contented himself with watching the Doctor and Rose spin around the console. Their laughter warmed his heart and inexplicably made him want to be a better man. 

As the Doctor tilted Rose back, Jack nodded and acquiesced any lingering hopes he may have had for Rose. The Doctor’s steely gaze in his direction as he pulled Rose close to his body clearly defined the status quo on the time ship and not so subtly let Jack know that Rose was his. 

Received and understood. 

**+++++**

_“You want moves, Rose? I’ll give you moves.”_

The memory of the pure, unrestrained joy on the Doctor’s face flitted through Rose’s mind as she stepped up to the Doctor and took his hands with a giggle. She’d never seen such a look on his face before. Saving everyone had transformed him, and lingering euphoria had made him lighter and more carefree than ever. The effect was contagious, and Rose couldn't help the smile that stretched across her face any time the Doctor looked at her. 

The Doctor led the dance, firmly and confidently, and held her hands and body in his as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Her gleeful laugh echoed around the console room, and she had eyes only for the Doctor. He captivated her completely and found herself falling for this Time Lord in ways she never thought possible. 

The Doctor dipped her with practiced ease, and for a brief moment, Rose blushed as she remembered his smouldering look as they’d talked about “dancing” and “Captain Envy.” His eyes darkened imperceptibly in response before he looked over her shoulder with a pointed stare. 

Jack. He was telling the Captain to back off. 

Her Doctor had nothing to worry about.


	11. Boom Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during "Boom Town"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a really hard time deciding what I wanted to write for this chapter, and I struggled with some writers block. The scene I'd initially intended to write, the moment when the Doctor watches Mickey and Rose walk away on the monitor, wasn't calling to me, so I focused on something else. It's a tiny moment, when Rose successfully says _Raxacoricofallapatorius_ , but I've always loved it. :) Since it's such a small moment, I decided to contain it to 100 words. 
> 
> Thanks to Caedmon for looking it over real quick, even though I've changed a lot since then. ;)

Rose trips over the word, but he prompts her through it with a little indulgent sass thrown in along the way. 

She walks toward him, unbridled glee written all over her face, and his hearts stutter. Oh, he’s gone, with no hope or desire to return. 

_Raxacoricofallapatorius._ She says it! 

And her joy is contagious, complete. He revels in her excitement, her shriek of victory, and they embrace. He picks her up with a jubilant shout and swings her, holding her close, holding her dear. 

It’s hardly the moment for such affection, but he can’t be bothered with social niceties.


	12. Bad Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during "Bad Wolf"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wheeeeee, inspiration finally hit for this episode last night! I've been languishing over these last two episodes, trying to find the words. 
> 
> One thing that's always irked me about this episode is how Nine interacts with Lynda. All that unnecessary flirting, UGH. Get it together, Doctor. So I fixed it, at least internally. 
> 
> Unbeta'd but thank you to Caedmon for giving it a quick read through.

He was distracted, his mind pulled from the important task of discovering a way out and finding Rose and Jack. Lynda was sweet, helpful even, but she lacked the spark and spirit that drew him to Rose. He felt bad, leading her on, but after all this was resolved, whatever _this_ was, he could take her home. Drop her off on Earth, reunite her with family, where she belonged.

He busied himself with his sonic screwdriver and tried to figure out the mystery of their sudden appearance on the satellite. The fact that something had pulled all three of them from the TARDIS without his explicit permission had him on edge. _Who_ had done it? There was something...he couldn’t quite put his finger on it yet, but something was wrong. Barely perceptible, but there. A scratch in the timeline.

He’d been here before, to this satellite, and he knew it was no coincidence he was here again. He prioritized his actions. Step one: Find Rose and Jack. Step two: Go to floor 500. Something told him he’d find some answers there.

Only part of him paid attention as Lynda ran over to the controls and turned the overhead lights on. Whatever she was saying, however, blurred into the background when the corporation name caught his eye.

_‘Bad Wolf Corporation’_

The words glared down at him from above, tall and imposing. There it was again, ‘ _Bad Wolf_ ,’ a constant companion, for as long as he’d traveled with Rose. Through time and space. Always there, lurking in the background.

_“The Big Bad Wolf…”_

_The words graffitied on the TARDIS._

_The helicopter call sign at van Statten’s museum._

_Blaidd Drwg, the ill-fated nuclear project in Cardiff._

All the other times and places it’d popped up, whether as graffiti, on signs or weapons, or spoken randomly by someone on their travels, coursed through his mind. Over and over again, the words. He’d brushed it off, when Rose had asked him what it meant in Cardiff, but now, faced with these impossible words again, the need to confront them became paramount. The niggle in his time sense strengthened and solidified.

Something was coming, something huge. Something that had the power to exist throughout all of time and space.

It was time to find Rose. _Now._

 


	13. The Parting of the Ways

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during "The Parting of the Ways"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to confess that this episode gave me so many fits. I juggled around so many ideas about what to write, and I couldn't ever settle on one thing. I think part of that is because this episode, the official end of the Bad Wolf arc, is just so damn wonderful. So I looked at all my notes and decided to write a series of 100-word drabbles for tiny moments throughout this episode. It's mostly introspection, but I hope that I was able to fill out some of these moments just a little bit more. I labeled each moment (by who we are with), and they are in chronological order. I tried to write something for the Bad Wolf scene, but I just... I really felt like I couldn't do it justice, because it was already perfect. So I left it alone and played with other moments. 
> 
> Thanks to Caedmon and CrazyGirlNE for letting me bounce ideas off you guys, the read-throughs, and for helping me out through a few rough patches. <3
> 
> * While discussing things with Caedmon for this chapter/episode, she specifically requested the moments with Rose and Jack, so thank her for the inspiration here. :)

**THE DOCTOR:**

She’d been dead, dust on the floor, and against all odds, she’d been kept alive by the _daleks_. That was twice now her life had been spared by the creatures he hated most in the universe. _Rose Tyler._ A force to be reckoned with, she was. He set the TARDIS to materialize around her and breathed a sigh of relief when her form solidified inside his ship. It wasn’t until after Jack destroyed the rogue dalek and he held Rose tightly in his arms again, fingers curled desperately into her torso, that he truly let himself relax. Rose was _alive_. 

**THE DOCTOR:**

The Doctor smirked at the daleks before stepping into the TARDIS and closing the door, his carefully nonchalant facade cracking once the door was closed. Squeezing his eyes shut, he rested his head on the door, fighting off panic as the grating shrieks of the daleks’ call to death reverberated around him. 

To find out the daleks had survived the Time War had been a huge blow. What had it all been for, then, the decision he’d made to end the war? It was all for naught, because they lived on and his people were gone, mere memories in time. 

**ROSE:**

Rose looked on as she stripped the wires, watching as Lynda cozied up to the Doctor again, full of nervous smiles and the awkward behavior of one clearly infatuated with another. Her lip curled up in disgust at their bumbling interaction, and she groaned internally when they shook hands. Just who, exactly, did this _Lynda_ think she was? Rose knew it was not the time to focus on petty jealousies, but sometimes the Doctor’s clueless flirting through time and space got him more attention than he understood. She sighed, pushing away those thoughts and focused on the matter at hand. 

**MICKEY:**

“...because there’s nothing left for me here.”

Mickey’s heart plummeted at Rose’s words, and when she confirmed it once more, he knew it was time to face the truth. For almost two years, he’d held onto some scrap of hope that Rose would one day return to build a life together with him. But with her words and undeterred resolve to return to the Doctor, he knew, without doubt, that it was over between them, that Rose had long since given her heart to the Doctor. She was destined for greater things, and it was time to let her go. 

**JACKIE:**

Out of _all_ of Rose’s completely mad stories, that _she’d_ been the one to comfort Pete in his last moments topped the cake. That daft alien had taken Rose to meet her father, a gift she could have never dreamed to give her daughter. Jackie laughed bitterly through her tears. When had her life become so _impossible_ , with aliens and time travel as common as tea? Pete would have loved it, would have told Rose to see it all, to never give up. Understanding and love flooded her heart. Rose was right. They couldn’t give up. They had to try.

 **THE TARDIS:**

It was _her_ Heart, so She could have made it easy, opened without struggle. Despite the knowledge of what Was, Is, and Will Be, She needed the certainty, determination, and fearlessness of a mind not her own. What was Rose willing to do to save the Doctor? _Their_ Doctor? To reject the Impossible and return against all odds? Anything? _Everything_ , this She knew. Finally, with joy in the knowledge of What Would Be, She opened herself to Rose, became one with the one who held the Doctor’s hearts. Bad Wolf was born, and it was time to save their Doctor. 

**JACK:**

He was going to die today. Soon, actually, in mere seconds. And if this is how it had to end, then so be it. Death by dalek was not ideal, but at least he could say he died defending the lives of his friends. He was a new man, redeemed in the eyes of the Doctor and Rose, who, against all reason, had seen something worthwhile in him. They’d seen past the selfishness and hate that lingered from the past. He shouted one last warning and fired at random. Acceptance and love replaced fear in those last moments. And then— 

**THE DOCTOR:**

As the energy ripped through him suddenly, he could see the confusion and concern on Rose’s face. His time had run out, and he only had one last chance to say the things he’d never said. 

“You were fantastic.”

 _I love you_ , he meant. 

“And you know what? So was I.”

Because of Rose, his wonderful Rose, who pulled him out of the darkness and gave him a reason to live again. 

All he wanted, his only wish, was to be what Rose deserved and needed, and he hoped his next self would have the courage to love her freely.


End file.
